


Just The Way You Are

by Remmy



Category: Iron Man (Comic), Iron Man (Movies), Iron Man (Ultimateverse), Iron Man - All Media Types, Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Celebrity, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-08
Updated: 2014-06-08
Packaged: 2018-02-03 19:58:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1755741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remmy/pseuds/Remmy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A/U: Pepper Potts and Tony Stark are both famous in their own right; she is a (humble) world class, Oscar winning actress, and he is a play-boy musician, infamous for his off-stage escapades. The two have been best friends for decades, but all the while one of them has been harboring feelings for the other... is it time to let  the cat out of the bag? Will a mishap at an award show do the deed for them? How will their fandoms, and the world, react to the news?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just The Way You Are

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure if I'll continue this or just have it be a one-shot, so if anyone wants me to keep going just let me know. I thought I'd write it up just in case, because I love me some Pepperony, but if no one is interested I'll just leave it as is.
> 
> By the way, yes, I did decide to use Bruno Mars music credits here. Judge away, haters.

Pepper Pots had been looking forward to nothing more than a weekend to herself--away from Twitter or whatever other social network crazy was spreading like wildfire this week, away from paparazzi, away from expectations--unfortunately, this was not that weekend.

As she peered out of her hotel window, eyes cascading over a large group of people crowded around the entrance steps, she started to wonder why she even got into the show business in the first place. 

Oh, that's right, because as a child she just _had_ to figure out that she loved acting. Couldn't she have just really liked playing with dolls instead?

Several loud knocks on her door shook her out her daze, followed by "Room service, m'lady! Hope you're decent. Or not. Preferably not, actually, that's what I ordered."

With a roll of her eyes she walked over to the door and turned the knob, letting the tall gentleman with the paper bag (that hopefully contained food) in his hand in. "You're so charming, Tony. It's really no wonder People Magazine named you the next Charlie Sheen."

"I'm taking that as a compliment, not everyone can function so highly with that percentage of cocaine to blood ratio pumping through their veins... but one more quip out of you and I'll be winning with a mouthful of my burger and yours, I'm warning you now."

\-----

The unlikely pair had been friends for as long as she could remember. Back on her first movie set (where she was still being accredited as Virginia), and his _only_ one, they played the young-counterparts of the main on-screen romance. Becoming each others first kiss at the tender ages of six and nine, respectively, was the only romantic thing that every happened between the two.

No, _seriously_.

As the years went on they went in two separate directions: she continued to act, now under the name 'Pepper' of which Tony had affectionately nicknamed her (some parts much smaller than others, but consistently winning parts all throughout her teens) while balancing a tutor for her education, and he went off to 'regular' school, living a fairly normal life... although despite his amazing talents in science, math, and engineering, his real passion become the arts. Music especially, and although he never thought it would happen for him, eventually he _did_ manage to secure a record deal.

They kept in touch, first through their parents wishes and later on voluntarily, the entire time wishing to be in the other ones shoes. As much as Pepper loved 'playing pretend', it eventually got old, and she longed for a normal life. An _average_ life, at the very least.

Diamonds, expensive shoes, fancy parties... none of it was really for her. It was no surprise to her, though, that Tony took to it like a fish to water. He always had a presence about him that drew every eye in the room to him, male and female, and his musical inclinations didn't hurt the package much. 

It wasn't long before he became notoriously known for his playboy antics throughout the industry; trashing hotel rooms, bizarre tour rider requests, bedding almost every woman that cross his path.

Almost every, except _one_.

\-----

As Tony gestured to place the bag on the table nearest to them Pepper immediately intercepted it, digging through it as if she were trying to strike a gold vein.

"Oh god, yes, sweet delicious beef." And, as lady like as ever, she took what could possibly be described as the biggest bite of a burger in known history.

"Seriously, Pepper, I don't know how you keep the men off of you... by the way, you have mayo on your forehead. And your nose. Defying the laws of physics one hamburger at a time, I couldn't be more proud."

She attempted to respond but, due to the current blockage of food in the way, didn't get out more than some gurgles and 'mhhpphhhhmmms' before he handed her a napkin to take care of the food fight she seemed to be in with herself.

"Hey, you try getting here after not sleeping for a night, fighting your way through two airport mobs where you can't stop for food, all _after_ having to watch hungry girls on a catwalk all week, then talk to me about manners and niceties. I tried to get room service, but they would only deliver in-kitchen stuff. This is one of those few and far between eat-as-if-your-life-depends-on-it moments, you know?"

"You lost me after catwalk, until I remembered that this years crop already has it out for me. I swear, you lose the number of ten or twenty of their friends and suddenly you get a reputation or something. Women."

Tony looked down at his phone, unlocking it and speaking commands. If there was one thing to know about him, it was that he was inseparable from his phone--practically held his life together. "Siri, when is my next alarm?"

 _"Tony, your next alarm is at 3 PM. Would you like me to cancel it?_ "

"No, that's alright."

" _Next alarm cancelled. Would you like to make a new alarm?_ "

He grumbled and locked his phone, shaking his head while doing so. Surely if he were in charge it would be way more advanced, but then what would happen to all of the music he had in his head? There was only time for him to corner one market, after all, and the idea of being a technological entrepreneur wasn't something he spent a lot of time dwelling on.

"You have such a way with women, Tony. Even the virtual ones." Pepper couldn't help but laugh quietly to herself at his misfortune as she finished off her meal, her stomach instantly rumbling for an encore. 

"You know, you have a lot of lip for a woman who is about to give an acceptance speech that's overshadowed by her talking stomach. Then again, I'm sure that YouTube clip will have thousands of views in minutes... it might even beat out your last movie"

Pepper rolled her eyes and grabbed for her purse, a beautiful silk pink that matched her gown perfectly. 

After all, what else would one wear to the Oscars?

As she got her things together, knowing full well that her 'team' would be in a panic once they made it to the limit (reapplying make-up, wondering where she was, so on and so forth), Tony straightened his bow-tie and kept his eyes on the prize. After all, this _was_ her night, and for everything she'd done for him he really did owe her this.

He held his arm out for her and she took it, mock curtsying at the gesture, and the pair entered the elevator together when, all of a sudden, one of Tony's songs came on the radio as he was unlocking his phone again.

"OH MAN, THIS ONE IS MY FAVORITE!" She began to dance and poke at his side a little, teasing him, as his eyes rolled underneath his sunglasses. Tony was known for being a ladies man, among other things, but every now and then he released a song that made you wonder

_[Verse 1:]_  
Oh, her eyes, her eyes  
Make the stars look like they're not shinin'  
Her hair, her hair  
Falls perfectly without her trying  
She's so beautiful  
And I tell her everyday  
Yeah 

_I know, I know_  
When I compliment her she won't believe me  
And it's so, it's so  
Sad to think that she don't see what I see  
But every time she asks me, "Do I look okay?"  
I say, 

_[Chorus:]_  
When I see your face (face, face...)  
There's not a thing that I would change  
'Cause you're amazing (amazing)  
Just the way you are (are)  
And when you smile (smile, smile...)  
The whole world stops and stares for a while  
'Cause, girl, you're amazing (amazing)  
Just the way you are (are).  
Yeah 

_[Verse 2:]_  
Her lips, her lips  
I could kiss them all day if she'd let me  
Her laugh, her laugh  
She hates but I think it's so sexy  
She's so beautiful  
And I tell her everyday, 

_Oh you know, you know, you know_  
I'd never ask you to change  
If perfect's what you're searching for  
Then just stay the same  
So don't even bother asking if you look okay  
You know I'll say, 

_[Chorus:]_  
When I see your face (face, face...)  
There's not a thing that I would change  
'Cause you're amazing (amazing)  
Just the way you are (are)  
And when you smile (smile, smile...)  
The whole world stops and stares for a while  
'Cause, girl, you're amazing (amazing)  
Just the way you are (are) 

_The way you are_  
The way you are  
Girl, you're amazing (amazing)  
Just the way you are (are) 

_[Chorus:]_  
When I see your face  
There's not a thing that I would change  
'Cause you're amazing (amazing)  
Just the way you are (are)  
And when you smile  
The whole world stops and stares for a while  
'Cause, girl, you're amazing  
Just the way you are 

As the song continued to play he looked down at her, smiling up at him with what was, he was sure, the most beautiful smile anyone in the world had ever witnessed. Everything about her was beautiful, actually. The little curly strand of hair that, no matter how hard she (or her make up team) tried, always seemed to break free of her hairdo. The way her laughs always began, and ended, with a little bit of a snort if she found whatever it was to be _really_ hilarious.

She was his best friend, and she was perfect.

But he would never let her know.

"God, you women. It's like lining up lambs to the slaughter, I swear. Soon I'm going to start comparing notes with Adam Levine and Ryan Gosling, then I'll be a modern day Greek God. Unstoppable. But don't worry, I'll never forget the little people. Siri, make a note of that for Pepper."

" _Made a note of that for Pepper_ "

**NOTES:  
that for pepper**


End file.
